Pre- Nursing FAQ’s Explanation of VSCC Pre-Nursing Degree options: Degree names are hyperlinked to detailed descriptions via VSCC course catalog: Pre-Nursing – AS - This is our most popular Associate of Science degree for students interested in transferring to a BSN program, including public and private schools The elective courses in the degree are highly customizable to fulfill requirements for admission to the school of nursing of your choice We recommend that you review the programmatic requirements for the nursing school you plan to attend before beginning coursework in this degree and make your course selections accordingly Students interested in applying to the Nursing AAS program at Vol State should also declare this program of study while taking courses in preparation for application to that program Pre- Nursing – AS [Belmont Partnership] – This Associate of Science degree is intended for students planning to transfer to Belmont University’s School of Nursing in Nashville, TN Additional information can be found on the following page: http://www.belmont.edu/nursing/programs/index.html Students completing this degree will have met all of Belmont’s programmatic admission requirements One course in the degree path, MATH 1010, is incorrect in the 2018-2019 VSCC catalog Students should instead take MATH 1130 Please see an Advising Center advisor with questions about this concentration Pre- Nursing – AS [Cumberland Partnership] – This Associate of Science degree is intended for students planning to transfer to Cumberland University’s School of Nursing In addition to a day program, Cumberland University also offers a nights and weekends program designed for students who work during the day Additional information can be found here: http://www.cumberland.edu/academics/undergrad/nursing/ Pre-Nursing – AS [Union Partnership – Adult Studies] – This Associate of Science degree is intended for adult students, aged 24 or older, or students with an earned bachelor’s degree in another field, planning to transfer to Union University’s Adult Studies/Accelerated BSN program in Hendersonville, TN Additional information can be found on the following page: http://www.uu.edu/programs/nursing/bsn/accelerated/ Math & Science Division – 615-230-3261 – Rev 3/4/2019 Page 1 Does VSCC have a School of Nursing? Yes, Vol State now offers a 2-year RN degree called Nursing AAS (starting Summer 2019) For more information, including a list of required courses for the Nursing AAS, please visit the Nursing Division website at www.volstate.edu/academics/nursing Prospective applicants to the Nursing AAS program must consult an advisor to enroll in the correct program-specific pre-requisite courses Federal Financial Aid rules prohibit students from declaring the Nursing AAS concentration until they are formally admitted to the program Interested students should declare Pre-Nursing AS as their program of study, upon general admission to Vol State and prior to applying to the Nursing AAS program What does Pre-Nursing AS mean, anyway? Vol State offers pre-nursing courses that culminate in a full associate degree Pre-Nursing courses are courses taken to complete nursing school admission requirements, and to prepare students for success in the competitive candidate selection process of BSN (4-year RN) programs The Pre-Nursing AS degree does not contain nursing curriculum, clinical training nor does it allow students to sit for the national nursing licensing exam After taking a specific list of courses at Vol State, students are eligible to apply/transfer to almost any BSN program in the State of Tennessee as well as options out of state Transferable institutions include both public and private school options: Local Public Nursing Schools for BSN (4-year track): Austin Peay State University (APSU) http://www.apsu.edu/nursing Middle Tennessee State Univ (MTSU) http://www.mtsu.edu/nursing/ Western Kentucky University (WKU) http://www.wku.edu/nursing/ Tennessee Tech Univ (TTU) https://www.tntech.edu/nursing/ Local Private Nursing Schools for BSN (4-year track): Belmont University* http://www.belmont.edu/nursing/ Cumberland University* http://www.cumberland.edu/nursing-healthprofessions/nursing/ Union University* http://www.uu.edu/academics/son/ Lipscomb University https://secure.lipscomb.edu/nursing *VSCC offers Pre-Nursing Partnership agreements with these private universities These programs accept 100% of credits completed at VSCC for transfer These programs reserve a certain number of seats for VSCC graduates every semester Math & Science Division – 615-230-3261 – Rev 3/4/2019 Page Will the pre-nursing classes I take at VSCC transfer to other colleges? Yes, required courses for admission to nursing schools will transfer to other public institutions or those private institutions with VSCC partnerships (Belmont, Cumberland, and Union, see above) For transfer of courses to institutions that not have specific VSCC arrangements, it is up to the receiving institution to make the determination In such cases, it is generally wise to review the receiving institution’s curriculum and/or to discuss the transfer with an advisor at that institution to ensure a seamless transition It is important to get all agreements documented in writing just in case there are questions later What is the difference between (a) AASN/ASN/ADN and (b) BSN nursing programs? (a) Associate of Applied Science in Nursing/ Associate of Science in Nursing / Associate Degree in Nursing (AASN/ASN/ADN) are all nursing degrees that culminate in the ability to be licensed as a Registered Nurse in two or three years of study at a community college or university Advantages of an Associate level nursing degree: start working more quickly than a BSN Tuition rate is often lower when taken at a community college rather than a university Disadvantages of an Associate level nursing degree: many hospital systems now require a BSN to be eligible for hire and are no longer hiring Associate level RN’s RN’s at this level are unable to choose a nursing specialty, and require more supervision on the job Math & Science Division – 615-230-3261 – Rev 3/4/2019 Page (b) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees culminate in the ability to be licensed as a Registered Nurse in four years of study at a university Advantages of a BSN degree: ability to specialize in specific care area both inside and outside of the hospital setting (ex: NICU, Surgical, ICU) More job opportunities/increased job security More leadership and administrative opportunities, including higher degree advancement (nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist Master’s programs) Disadvantages of BSN degree: course of study is a much longer time commitment than Associate level programs, often at a higher tuition rate than Associate’s level programs Does VSCC offer Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification? No, VSCC does not offer this type of program Programs are offered here: NATS, Inc (Nashville) phone: (615)-333-8474 website: http://natscnt.com NHC (Hendersonville) phone: (615) 824-0720 website: http://www.nhchendersonville.com/cnatraining.cfm Does VSCC offer Surgical Technician training? No, VSCC does not offer this type of program Programs are offered here: https://tcatmurfreesboro.edu/programs/surgical-technology TCAT Murfreesboro http://catalog.nscc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=12&poid=1423&hl=Surgical&returnto=search Nashville State Community College Does VSCC offer Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) certification? No, VSCC does not offer this type of program Schools that offer these programs are listed below Tennessee College of Applied Technology Hartsville https://tcathartsville.edu/programs/practicalnursing Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville https://tcatnashville.edu/programs/practical(Nashville and Portland Campuses) nursing Tennessee College of Applied Tech Murfreesboro https://tcatmurfreesboro.edu/programs/practicalnursing Tennessee College of Applied Tech Dickson https://tcatdickson.edu/programs/practicalnursing Does VSCC offer LPN to RN bridge programs? No, VSCC does not offer this type of program at this time Schools that offer these programs are listed below Western Kentucky University (WKU) https://www.wku.edu/nursing/lpn_to_asn.php http://www.columbiastate.edu/academics/healthColumbia State Community College sciences/nursing/lpn-to-rn-bridge-options Math & Science Division – 615-230-3261 – Rev 3/4/2019 Page I already have my Associate-level Nursing Degree, where can I find more information on an RN to BSN Bridge program? Programs are available at the following institutions: Tennessee State University http://www.tnstate.edu/nursing/rntobsn.aspx (TSU) Tennessee Tech University https://www.tntech.edu/nursing/programs-of-study/rn-bsn East Tennessee State https://www.etsu.edu/online/undergraduate/onlinenursingbsndegree.php University (online) Western Kentucky University https://www.wku.edu/nursing/rn_to_bsn.php (WKU) (online) Belmont University http://www.belmont.edu/adult-degree/degree_programs/rn_bsn/ Lipscomb University (online) https://www.lipscomb.edu/nursing/undergraduate-programs/rn-to-bsn 10 I already have a Bachelor degree in a non-nursing area, what options should I consider? Take necessary school of nursing admission requirements at VSCC for the BSN program of choice (BSN programs will take just as long to complete as Associate’s level programs since you have completed all necessary General Education courses) Union University and Marian University both offer accelerated BSN programs: Union University http://www.uu.edu/academics/son/ Marian University at St Thomas https://onlineabsn.marian.edu/nashville/ Vanderbilt University offers an accelerated PreSpecialy Entry MSN program: Vanderbilt University (MSN) https://nursing.vanderbilt.edu/msn/prespecialty/index.php Median salary for Registered Nurse in TN: $57,590 (http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1141.00#WagesEmployment) Math & Science Division – 615-230-3261 – Rev 3/4/2019 Page